THE THREE KING’S DAUGHTERS

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

FATHER

OLDEST DAUGHTER

SECOND DAUGHTER

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER

COOK

KING

SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there was a rich king who had three beautiful daughters, but the youngest was the prettiest, and the king loved her the most. The three of them were engaged and were happy. One day, the king was feeling weak, so he called his three daughters and their handsome princes.

FATHER: I wanted to talk to you because I feel sick and weak and I need that one of you takes my place.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: I will take your place, father.

FATHER: Don´t interrupt me.

SECOND DAUGHTER: Let him talk!.

FATHER: I have thought about dividing my kingdom into three equal parts, one for each one.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: That will be fair.

FATHER: I will live for a while with each of you, and will take with me a hundred men.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: A hundred men!.

FATHER: But that´s not all. I will divide my kingdom into three equal parts, according to your love and kindness.

NARRATOR: Then, there was silence in the room. The king asked the oldest daughter.

FATHER: How much do you love me?.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: More than my own life. Come and live with me, I will take care of you.

SECOND DAUGHTER: I love you more than anybody could love you in the whole wide world.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I love you as a daughter should love a father, and I need you as the food needs salt.

NARRATOR: The king was very angry because he was dissapointed of the youngest daughter, and said.

FATHER: That´s all?. Well, I will divide my kingdom between your two sisters and you will receive nothing.

NARRATOR: At that moment, the youngest daughter´s prince left the room and didn´t come back. He thought that he didn´t want to have a poor girlfriend. Then she said to her sisters.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER:(crying) I don´t know how to express myself as you do, but I love our father as much as you do. And I know that you must be very happy right now because you wanted so much this kingdom that now it will be yours.

NARRATOR: The two sisters were laughing at her.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: Ha, ha, ha.

SECOND DAUGHTER: Ha, ha, ha.

FATHER: I don`t want to see you anymore!.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: But father!.

FATHER: Get out of my castle, and never come back!.

NARRATOR: The crying princess left the palace taking only one dress, a party dress, and her wedding dress.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I have been walking for days, and I am so tired.

NARRATOR: One day she got to the edge of a lake where she saw some reeds. She looked herself in the water and saw a beautiful image.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I will take some of those reeds to make a dress. I need to cover this elegant dress I am wearing. And I will also make a hat to cover my blond hair.

NARRATOR: From that day on, when people saw her they started calling her: Reed Hat. One day she arrived to her ex-boyfriend´s land. She then knew that his father had died and that now he was the king. She also knew that he was looking for a princess . Then she went to talk to the cook.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I know that you have a lot of work with so many parties and so many guests. Can I work here?.

COOK: The truth is that I don´t have so much work. But if you make a mistake I will throw you away from here.

NARRATOR: The princess worked a lot and never complained. She wasn´t getting paid and could only get food to eat. Once in a while she could see the king and that made her feel happy. Meanwhile, her father wasn´t as rich as he was because he had already divided the kingdom between his other two daughters. And with his hundred men he went to the oldest daughter´s house.

OLDEST DAUGHTER: I am happy to see you but you bring too many people, father. I think that fifty men is enough for you.

FATHER:(angry) What are you saying?. I gave you my kingdom and you cannot have my men living here. I will go live with your sister.

NARRATOR: The second daughter heard his complains and said.

SECOND DAUGHTER: Come on, father. My sister is right. Why do you want so many men for?. You should fire them all. You can stay, but I cannot have all those people here.

FATHER: Ohh!. I will go back with your sister, at least she wanted fifty of my men. Your are so ungrateful.

NARRATOR: The old men fired half of his men, and went back to his palace. But because of his old age he traveled slowly and by the time he got to his oldest daughter´s house she knew already what had happened. So she ordered to close all the gates. When he arrived a man from the high tower shouted.

MAN: Go away, my lady doesn´t want you here!.

NARRATOR: The old king, sadly fired all his men, and had to sell his horse. Then started walking through the woods where he found an abandoned hut and stayed there to live. One day Reed Hat was walking in the forest looking for fruit for king, when she saw his father sitting in a rock. She felt sorry for his father. The king didn´t recognize her because of her dress and hat and because he was almost blind.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Good morning, sir. Do you live here alone?.

FATHER:(sadly) Yes, who would want to take care of an old man?.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Many people. And if you need something, just tell me.

NARRATOR: Then she started cleaning his house, made the bed and cooked for him.

FATHER: You are a kind girl .

NARRATOR: Reed Hat went to see his father every Sunday, and whenever she could, and feed him. There was going to be a big party at the palace and everybody could go, but the cook said.

COOK: But you, Reed Hat, you cannot go the way you are dressed, so you have to stay in the kitchen.

NARRATOR: When everybody left, the girl took off his reed dress and hat and with his beautiful princess dress and her shiny blond hair, went to the great party at the palace. Everybody looked at that beautiful creature. The king, apologizing with the other princess went walking straight to her and said.

KING: Do you want to dance with me?.

NARRATOR: He didn´t even recognized that she was the princess, as soon as she had the opportunity she escaped and went to hide in a room. That night she was very happy. Next day, the cook couldn´t stop talking about the beautiful girl.

COOK:(talking to the prince) I noticed that you liked the beautiful girl that came to the party last night.

PRINCE: Yes, and I am hoping to see her again.

COOK: Why don`t you give another party, maybe she will come.

PRINCE: That is a good idea!.

NARRATOR: And the prince threw another party, and the princess attended even more beautiful than the first time. The king only danced with her. Again, as soon as she could, she escaped without being noticed. Then once again, the king threw another party. This time the princess attended with her wedding dress. She was so beautiful that everybody admired her. The king said.

KING: You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and also the sweetest. I beg you not to leave, and marry me.

NARRATOR: The princess smiled, but once again escaped. The king was so sad that couldn´t even eat. One morning, the cook told Reed Hat to prepare breakfast for the king. Then over the jelly she put the wedding ring that the king once gave her. When he saw it, he said.

KING: Bring the cook!.

NARRATOR: The cook was very afraid and told the king that she didn´t cook breakfast that morning, that Reed Hat did it. The king called her, and under her reed dress she was wearing her wedding gown.

KING: Where did you get the ring that was over my plate?.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Someone gave it to me.

KING: Who are you?.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: They call me Reed Hat, sir.

KING: Let me see what you are hiding under that reed dress.

NARRATOR: She started taking off really slowly her reed dress and hat and a wonderful wedding dress appeared.

KING: Oh, dear, it was you. I don´t know if you can forgive me.

NARRATOR: But since the princess loved him with all her heart they started planning the wedding. Her father also came. The wedding ceremony was magnificent, but the food tasted bad, with no spices on it, and nobody was eating. The king, really angry told the cook.

KING: Nobody is eating this food!.

NARRATOR: Then the princess, looking at his father ordered the cook to bring some salt. Her father started to cry, because it was then that he knew how much her youngest daughter loved him, and how bad he was to her.

FATHER: Please, my sweet daughter, forgive me!.

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: I have nothing to forgive you, father. I love you as much as food needs salt.